5. What is the National Committee on Levee Safety? Who is on the NCLS?

The NCLS was created by Congress and authorized by the Water Resources Development Act of 2007, Section IX,
to "develop recommendations for a national levee safety program, including a strategic plan for implementation
of the program." The NCLS includes representatives of state governments, local/regional governments, the
private sector and two federal agencies (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Federal Emergency Management
Agency). A designee for the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works) chairs the NCLS.

The NCLS adopted the vision of "an involved public and reliable levee systems working as part of an integrated
approach to protect people and property from floods." In their report entitled Recommendations for a National
Levee Safety Program: A Report to Congress from the National Committee on Levee Safety (January 2009), the
NCLS presented 20 recommendations that, when taken together, will establish the basis for a comprehensive
and effective National Levee Safety Program.

6. What is the status of the NCLS's report and recommendations?

The NCLS presented their findings and recommendations for a National Levee Safety Program in a draft Report
to Congress, Recommendations for a National Levee Safety Program: A Report to Congress from the National
Committee on Levee Safety, completed in January 2009. The House Subcommittee on Water Resources and the
Environment held a hearing on the recommendations in May 2009. The Office of Management and Budget also
has reviewed the report.

The NCLS continues to work to provide further detail on some of its recommendations so that Congress can be
as well-positioned as possible to create a National Levee Safety Program. As with all efforts that involve
complex policy questions, extensive intergovernmental coordination, and significant technical standards
development, the NCLS continues to work to identify and communicate to Congress which recommendations
need legislation and which recommendations can begin moving towards implementation. The NCLS also intends
to solicit additional feedback from both technical experts and stakeholders. The core of the recommendations
made in the January 2009 Report to Congress, and the reasoning behind them, remain unchanged.

7. How does the Report reflect the feedback the NCLS received? How did the NCLS involve
stakeholders in developing their recommendations?

At the same time that the NCLS was created, a review committee representing interests from federal, state,
local, and tribal agencies, interest groups, and technical societies also was created. During the three-month
report development process, the NCLS held two review committee meetings to solicit feedback on progress to
date. The first review committee meeting focused on the scoping of the report and whether the NCLS was
asking the right questions. The second review committee meeting sought comment on high-level
recommendations. The NCLS will continue to periodically seek advice from the review committee. The NCLS
presented high-level draft recommendations and received comments at a webinar (virtual meeting), attended
by about 300 people. The NCLS is now working to seek reaction and input to its recommendations to a broader
set of stakeholders by conducting regional workshops as well as targeted outreach toward key implementers
such as state, tribes, local governments, and levee operators.

8. What is the NCLS doing now?

The NCLS is:

Working to further detail some recommendations to best position Congress to act to create a
National Levee Safety Program, including:

Further detailing benefits and costs of a National Levee Safety Program.

Expanding the NCLS's understanding of the complexities of the state of the law and jurisprudence relating to levee liability(pdf, 173 KB) for local communities, states, and the private sector.

Supporting U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA) efforts to implement actions recommended in the NCLS's Report to Congress (January 2009)
with existing funding and authorities, such as:

Expanding the USACE National Levee Database to include voluntarily submitted data from states
to improve the understanding of the number, location, and condition of the nation's levees,
necessary to fully understand the nation's risk. The NCLS's recommendations(pdf, 158 KB) call for a one-
time, federally funded inventory and inspection of all the nation's levees, with that data
incorporated in the National Levee Database.

Further developing the important foundational aspects of several technical recommendations
including: levee safety standards; a hazard potential classification system; and tolerable risk
guidelines. It is the goal of the NCLS that by working with USACE to develop these standards
and guidelines for federal levees, the groundwork will have been set for eventual creation and
adoption of national standards. National standards require new authorities and funding.

Working with FEMA and USACE to begin identifying and linking existing programs and websites
related to levee safety, and to promote a more consistent use of terminology, messages, and
approaches across the federal government.

Planning future outreach, including targeted efforts for states and tribes(pdf, 607 KB), to gain additional feedback on the design of participating levee safety programs.

9. Levee safety is important; how can I help establish a National Levee Safety Program?

Learn more about the recommendations for creating a comprehensive and effective National Levee Safety Program, and share that information with others.

Attend a regional stakeholder workshop. The NCLS is conducting several workshops across the country
to share information about the recommendations for a National Levee Safety Program and gather
additional feedback, and you are invited.

If you support the recommendations or have questions or concerns, let us know and reach out to your local officials to share your support. The NCLS is working to lay the groundwork for the creation of the
National Levee Safety Program, and ideas for improving levee safety nationwide are welcome.

If you are a member of a professional organization knowledgeable in levee safety issues, we would
appreciate your engagement and support. Each element of the National Levee Safety Program is
important, and you are welcome to reference and support the recommendations for a National Levee
Safety Program in your own interface with stakeholders and decision makers.

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